The Flesh Will Embarrass You

 Yes you read right. The flesh will embarrass you.

Growing up in a very strict and conservative Christian household, we had all these rules and boundaries growing up. I never questioned them and just trusted that my well-meaning parents had a good cause for them and rightly so.

Navigating through senior high school, the university and then out of it presented its own fair chunk of challenges, but having lived a sheltered life by the said rules and abiding by these rules and boundaries kept me safe; even within the confines of school so I never had a problem – all is well or so I thought.

Boundaries are good. Trust me! You cannot survive this lustful generation of ours without boundaries. Here’s the thing though, it is very easy to get so confident in your boundaries such that it becomes self-confidence. You begin to feel like your system has worked so well thus far and there is nothing that can penetrate it. 

There is this popular scripture in 1 Corinthians 10:12 which states “He that thinks He is standing should take heed less he falls. But I love the Message translation of this verse which reads “Don’t be so naïve and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.”

In that chapter, Paul tasked the church in Corinth to reflect on how their fathers were lusting after evil desires although they had all these divine encounters with God and warned them to take heed less they followed that pattern as well. He said in no uncertain terms; Firstly, don’t be so naïve and self-confident. Secondly you’re not exempt, this could happen to you too no matter your maturity or otherwise in Christ (see how gifted and anointed the Corinth church was). Thirdly, you could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else (I like to say you will be humbled). Fourthly, forget about self-confidence it is useless (very useless to think you can handle your lusts on your own). Finally, instead cultivate God-confidence (don’t believe you have the strength to tame your fleshly desires by yourself, accept you’re weak and need God’s strength.)

I know I’m preaching to the choir when I say that there are times in our lives where we fell or almost fell not because we didn’t have boundaries but we were confident that we couldn’t fall. But what we seem to forget is that we are tempted by our own inherent evil desires. The devil will come wrapped up as everything you wished for. So the temptations we face are not far-fetched mysteries. Deep down somewhere, we want to experience this. In fact James 1:13-15 NKJV reads “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”.

So here’s the thing, temptations will come. More so this temptation will most definitely be something you’ve been lusting after and thanks to your boundaries you may have never encountered it or avoided encountering it all this while. But what happens when you do encounter a temptation and none of your fool-proof measures seem to work. No accountability partner in sight, no prayer meeting or church service to provide an escape, none of the scriptures you’ve been quoting to yourself over and over again seem to hold any power or strength.

Recently I had a rude awakening and dare I say it was greatly humbling. I learned it is easy to get so confident in yourself because of your boundaries and underestimate the power of your own flesh to want to cross those boundaries. Picture this, when you see a stranger or even a familiar person jumping over the walls of your home, you jump up into defense mode and secure yourself to kick them out. Your defenses are up and you’re ready to fight. But what happens if the object of your temptation is not even trying to jump the walls but yet you’re battling with your own inherent lustful desires. You’re the one subtly opening the gate and letting them in because you want them to, and you have placed reliance on your boundaries which have always worked expecting it will work this time even when you let them in.

But don’t be naïve sweetheart, you’re not that strong by yourself and neither are those boundaries on their own. There is a reason why as part of the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught us to say in Matthew 6:13a “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Most often than not, we lead ourselves into temptation by our own desires because even scripture says in James 1:13 that God does not tempt anyone but we are tempted by our own lustful desires. Since we set the boundaries or our parents or guardians did, we feel we can side-step them too because we have become so confident in the safety they have provided over the years. But that’s why scripture admonishes us not be so naïve and self-confident. You’re not exempt. Yes the boundaries might make you feel impenetrable and secure but they are just safeguards and they are not fool-proof.

The only fool-proof measure is acknowledging that although you’re so full of the spirit and have a soul (your will, emotions, intellect and logic is top-notch), you still live in a body and thus you also have weaknesses. You’re not that strong! Your flesh has power too! Even the great Apostle Paul testified of a thorn he had in his flesh which he prayed for God to take away but never went away. In Corinthians 12:9 NKJV, Paul said, And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul understood that he had weaknesses and had to cultivate God-confidence instead of self-confidence. He acknowledged that he was weak and he could not handle this no matter how hard he tried. He realized it was better to boast in that weakness than trust in the strength of his boundaries. Jesus did not tell Paul he will take the temptation or thorn away. He just said since you’ve acknowledged you’re weak, my strength will be made perfect in that weakness implying you asked for my strength and I will supply it for that weakness.

Here’s the thing dearest readers, temptations will always come. Some of which honestly might make nonsense of your boundaries. But here is the assurance we have in 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV; “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” God is faithful to give a way of escape but don’t be naïve about the power of your flesh. Don’t play with fire thinking your boundaries will always protect you.

I will like to end with this scripture in Proverbs 6:27-28 ESV, “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?”. Don’t be naïve. You cannot carry coals of fire to your chest and not get burnt! You cannot walk on coals of fire and not expect to have blisters under your feet. Don’t be naïve about your own inherent lustful desires or pretend they don’t exist. Be conscious of them and yes have boundaries and principles to safeguard yourself. But more importantly, don’t be so self-confident in those boundaries. Your flesh will embarrass you if you entertain the thought that you can compromise on those boundaries and still escape unscathed. Yes God will always provide a door of escape, but the strength to escape comes from Him and you acknowledging your weakness and assuredly not the infallibility of your boundaries.

In conclusion, It is okay to admit that what you’re being tempted by/with is something you actually want, scripture proves we are tempted by our own inherent desires as shown above. What is not okay is living in a bubble that those desires will never appear to you in the flesh because scripture says they definitely will. What is not okay is you thinking that even when these temptations do appear, you’re so confident in yourself and your boundaries. Don’t be naïve of the power of your own inherent lustful desires, your flesh has desires and will embarrass you if you get self-confident.

Your friends,

Becky and Sharon